


Picture Perfect

by purplefox



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-11 21:56:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7909057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nightwing with his new friends and allies makes Bruce feel a little lonesome</p>
            </blockquote>





	Picture Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> It started out as a friendship fic, just Dick and Apollo having a good time but I ship these darlings so much it ended up like this by the time I was finished. Hope you enjoy!!

There were many places they could have been, the world was always in turmoil and from what Midnighter had seen so far he knew it always would be. However, everyone needed their downtime. He had not been one for relaxing but he had changed and he had to admit, this night out was not such a bad idea.

Granted he would have been much happier just watching Apollo but considering the spectacle the others were making of themselves he could not exactly say it was a bad thing. He badly wanted to know where Dick had managed to pull his clothes from.

He had just known Dick and Apollo had been up to something when they had remained cryptic about everything. He could have asked; he could have found out by doing some digging but he had realized that he didn’t need to know everything right away.

Besides, he was going to take pictures.

It was not only them in attendance, his former team had turned up too and the overly presumptuous JLA had turned up as well minus the costumes. But none of them were commandeering the dancefloor like Dick and Andrew were.

None of them could, hell Andrew was Andrew, the most amazing thing he had ever seen and the kid was not too shabby himself.

A smile teased his lips as he watched Andrew lead Dick around the floor. The floaty light blue skirt Dick wore rippled and floated around his legs as he and Andrew danced together. Again, he did not know where Dick had dug up the costume, he did not even know why but as he and Andrew grinned at each other, one hand on each other’s waist as they moved to the music and outshined everyone else, Midnighter had to admit that he was glad to see it.

Everyone else was nervous or even on guard. Their two teams, no the two bigger teams barely tolerated each other. Midnighter might get along with Dick and Dick might get along with basically everyone he met but regardless of what it was supposed to be mistrust still lingered. It was amazing that the JLA had turned up minus costumes in the first place.

He sniggered when Andrew used his speed to move Dick as he wanted. Andrew was tall and against Dick he looked bigger than usual, Dick had a smaller frame and with one hand on Andrew’s waist and the other pressed to his chest he looked small in comparison, still Andrew’s entire body was at ease as they danced.

But Dick really made friends with everyone. Midnighter never had dreamed they would have taken to each other so quickly. It was almost scary, almost.

He sighed loudly when he felt the air behind him change. “Pretty picture they make right?” He asked loudly without turning around.

“Pretty.” Wayne agreed, he joined Midnighter, close but not too close. Close enough to act but far enough to watch. Just as paranoid as Midnighter knew him to be. Just as paranoid as he was himself.

“You can’t be too happy about all of this.” Midnighter shrugged as Andrew sent Dick into a dip before they two stepped to the edges of the crowd. “You don’t like most of us, not that I care.” Midnighter grinned when he recognised a figure in the crowd. The man in black eyed Apollo before Dick was handed over. “Everyone else wants to lurk in the background, forget that it is a party except for the sun worshippers, guess Nightwing really does belong to Superman.” He finished and he delighted in the twitch he got from Wayne.

“Nightwing is different to many of us.” Wayne answered. Andrew continued to dance, this time alone but he had never been the sort to need a partner in the first place. Midnighter could have watched Apollo dance forever if he had the chance but his eyes drifted to Superman and Dick.

Dick who had a teasing smile on his face as he took the lead and Superman who smiled back and with every step he made he relaxed further. Of course Midnighter already knew about Nightwing’s history and Dick had already confessed to plenty of things over the course of some missions. Also he was not blind. Dick still thought Superman was the bee’s knees.

“Yeah.” Midnighter agreed. “He’s a good idiot.” He laughed and ignored the glare he got from Wayne in response. “But he’s a good kid.” He admitted. “Don’t tell him I said that.” He snorted.

“I won’t.” Wayne responded a heartbeat of silence passed before the man spoke again. “Are you not going to join them?”

“Not enhanced that way.” Midnighter chuckled as Jenny joined Andrew. “But I know you are that type. You can go. Not near Apollo but when your old boy in blue is done you can take your Dick for a spin.” He tilted his head in Wayne’s direction. “I mean Grayson of course.” He finished before he made a retreat for the bar. Grayson had already begged him against hanging around the Bat too much and he was going to try to keep his promise.

X

The dance that Dick had started with Apollo, Dick continued with Clark and Bruce could only watch as he stood on the balcony. He knew Clark did not mean anything by the hand that hung low on Dick’s waist. He knew the closeness of their bodies was simply because of the dance.

He even knew the dance, even though it was his first time seeing Dick dance it. He knew the steps and as he watched them rock back and worth, glide all over the floor occasionally switch hands and positions, as he watched the light blue material swish around Grayson’s legs Bruce had to fight the urge to take over.

But he knew better, Clark was safe, regardless of Dick’s… slight hero worship that continued to the present, Bruce had been aware that Clark was safe. Even without the files, he knew Apollo and Midnighter regardless of their interest in Dick were far more occupied with each other.

Granted the look Dick got when he spoke about them or when he saw them did things to Bruce, stir jealousy and made him irritable, he knew that with those people nothing would happen. He found it a little sad that the people that Dick was usually enraptured by were the people he could not be with when he really wanted or needed it.

He himself was not blind to others' gossip, he knew of Dick’s of Nightwing’s charms. He used his own frequently after all and it was hard not to notice, still he had to agree with Midnighter regardless.

Apollo and Dick did make a pretty picture, especially Dick but Bruce knew pictures were for looking at only.

X

So not everyone was comfortable with each other yet, that time would come with some effort. Dick had seen some good things so far, Apollo’s daughter Jenny had bonded with Damian and Dick was unsure to whether he should be scared or happy.

Superman was going to freak eventually when he realized that the engineer and the doctor had taken a personal interest in Kon and Tim. Jason too, Dick had seen them disappear when he had taken to the dance floor with Apollo and he was praying that the place did not go up in flames because of those three. Adults or not Bruce would ground them all.

He already knew Harper was a lost cause, he had resigned himself to the fact that Midnighter would be borrowing Harper and her brother, maybe Stephanie as well for more missions. Would Batman would be happy with it? Of course not. Would he accept it? Who knew.

Still the JLA had been so stiff that until Clark had joined him on the floor Dick had been silently despairing. Even the Martian Hunter who had been playing both sides looked awkward.

But Apollo, that man just enjoined a good time, with every second he knew the man Dick agreed with Midnighter. Apollo was like the sun. Midnighter’s missions were good in their own right but he would be lying if he said he was not looking forward for the time that Apollo would come looking for his help.

The man just had this air around him and the halo, Dick was still tripping over that and the man’s sense of humour went to levels that made it hard to keep a straight face. Dick had thought Midnighter was bad but that was until Apollo got started.

Still, as much as he enjoined it he really wished that he could share such great moments with Bruce. Even though he knew better.

He had seen Bruce approach Midnighter and he had seen Midnighter leave as well. They were costumeless for the event but the Batman was present not Bruce Wayne. Batman lurked and accessed, Bruce Wayne would have been on the dance floor and maybe Dick could have gotten a dance.

X

Bruce cleared his throat and Dick looked up from gazing out the clear windows that led to space. “You seem to be enjoying yourself.” He said softly as the strains of music filtered into the corridor.

“Well that is the point of the event, we’ve proved we can work together and it is nice to finally meet most of them.” Dick shrugged and the half jacket shimmered. The light material hid nothing and Bruce allowed his eyes to trace over Dick’s muscles before he fixed his eyes on the glass ahead of him.

“You’ll be taking more missions with them.” Bruce sighed and Dick shrugged. “Even though you don’t agree with their methods.”

“I don’t hate all their methods, just like how I don’t like all yours.” Dick sent him a dry look. “I’ve been helping Midnighter and Midnighter has been helping me. That will be continuing.”

Bruce already knew that. “I know.” He said softly. “Their leader likes you.”

“Apollo and Midnighter’s kid? I like her too. She reminds me of someone.” He and Dick exchanged a smile then before their attention went back to the calmness of space. “They won’t agree with everything we do and vice versa but we should come to each other’s aid when we have to.”

“We can learn from each other, trust will come eventually, some their recruits could use some guidance.” Bruce noticed and he pretended to miss the smile on Dick’s face.

“Seems like you already have made a decision there Bruce.”

“Seems so.” Bruce sighed. Dick nodded and made to turn away but Bruce grabbed his elbow before he could turn too far. “I’m not for putting on a show but if it is just us…”

“You asking for a dance Bruce?” Dick smiled as he turned back. “You even know the steps?” He laughed and Bruce gently placed his right hand on Dick’s left hip as Dick placed his right hand on his hip. “Well would you look at that.” Dick murmured after Bruce took the first step a quick step to the right that caused Dick’s skirt to flutter slightly as the music filtered down to them. “Looks like you do.”

Bruce allowed himself a smile as he guided Dick through the steps, as he smiled down at Dick he had to admit to himself that Dick did make a perfect picture, smiling, happy, flushed and staring up at him, best look in the world.

X

“Took you long enough.” Midnighter muttered as he backed away from the corridor where Dick and Wayne were dancing. Their eyes were only on each other and Dick looked so star struck it made him wonder how anyone had ever missed how gone they were over each other they were. They were lost in their own world. The entire scene reeked of being personal and private, he hoped no one else came looking although depending on who it could be funny. He snorted to himself before he quickened his steps. “Idiots both of them. Door.”

 


End file.
